“I… I don’t really know. I’m going to go home eventually, but I don’t want to stay there. You’re not there.”
“But you have a life there. A job and friends. Your family.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know. I’m sure they will visit. And there’s a library here, right? I’m sure I can find work.”
I pull her face to me and kiss her lips again, this time a quick peck. I push her face back a little so I can see her again.
“This is real. Do you really want to stay? With me?”
She nods her head, a small smile pulling at the side of her lips.
“If that’s okay with you.”
“That’s more than okay with me.”
I’m not sure I have felt this much happiness before. It feels like every nerve ending in my body is firing, and I’m not quite sure what to do about it.
“Perfect. Okay now,” she pushes a little at my chest, “let me serve you some pierogi casserole.”
“I’m not sure what that is, but it smells amazing.”
She serves up two plates, and we take a seat on my couch.
“Your place is cute,” she says, looking around.
“It’s small. It’s a good place for one person.”
“Yeah,” she nods her head. “I have a lot of stuff.” Her eyes grow wide.
I put my finger under her chin and turn her face to me.
“Bring anything you want. I have the perfect solution.”
Chapter 31
Sarah
“Ready?”Chrisasksmeafter he blindfolded me at his house and drove me to who knows where.
“Yes, I’m so ready,” I say.
He takes the blindfold off and a huge backyard stands before me, but it’s notanybackyard.
“Is this where your grandpa lived?”
“Sure is.”
There are bird feeders and birdhouses galore, but you can tell it’s been years since anyone has touched them. The weeds are knee high, and a lot of the houses are falling apart.
“So, what are we doing here, exactly?” I ask him. He walks in front of me and takes my hands.
“My brother has to move, and I’m not ready to sell this house. It sits on four acres. My grandpa built the fence around to keep the deer out, but we can take it down.” He takes my hands, and we round the house. There is a four-wheeler sitting there, and he gets on it.
“Come on. I want to show you something.”
I climb on, a little scared. I’ve never been on one before, but I trust him. I wrap my arms around his waist, and he takes off. We round the house and head up over a small hill that sits behind the house. But it’s what is on the other side of the hill that has my attention. He stops the four-wheeler by the water, turns it off and shifts in his seat to look at me.
He puts his hand towards the water and says, “And your very own duck pond.” He looks into my eyes, and I am at a loss for words for a few seconds. “Sarah, will you move in with me here? We can renovate and make everything just how you like it. We can build a duck barn and—”